North Whatcom sees structure fire, three car crash, Skagit County names new commissioner, Whatcom County rolls out first-ever generative AI policy, Bellingham launches investigation into allegations of city employee using AI chatbots, New dispatch center approved, Bellingham City Council debating reducing time for public comment, Anti-trans initiatives move forward, Funding awarded for first-time home buyers, Cantwell landslide legislation approved by Senate
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KMRE brings you local news for Wednesday, Jan, 7. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: North Whatcom sees structure fire, three car crash
Two stories to report from north Whatcom County yesterday: First responders were called to a three-vehicle crash on Everson-Goshen Road in Everson last night. The crash happened in the 7300 block, with reports of injuries and a driver fleeing the scene on foot. Whatcom County Fire District Number One says there were no fatalities, and several people were taken to the hospital as a precaution.
And in Nooksack, firefighters responded to an early morning structure fire. Whatcom County Fire District Number One was dispatched around 2:30 a.m. to the 200 block of West Third Street, where a detached residential garage was fully engulfed in flames when crews arrived. All occupants were safely evacuated, and no injuries were reported. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office.
STORY: Skagit County names new commissioner
Skagit County’s two remaining County Commissioners have selected Joe Burns of Sedro-Woolley to replace outgoing District 3 Commissioner Lisa Janicki (JAN-ih-kee), who retired last week.
Burns beat out two other candidates after a public interview held on Monday. He will serve the remainder of Janicki’s term, which ends in November, and will then have the opportunity to run for the seat in this year’s general election.
In addition to supporting farmers and managing fiscal difficulties, Burns has expressed consistent support for North Star, an organization Janicki founded, devoted to ending homelessness in Skagit County. In his comments during the public interview, he stressed the importance of listening to and working with people with divergent viewpoints.
Just two months ago, Burns won reelection to the Sedro-Woolley City Council seat he has held since 2022. He now plans to resign that position.
STORY: Whatcom County rolls out first-ever generative AI policy
Whatcom County introduced a first-of-its-kind generative AI policy in November for county employees in the executive branch.
The three-page policy establishes ethical boundaries, such as the review of all AI-generated content as well as the acknowledgement of energy and water costs from data centers that the technology relies on. It also prioritizes protection of sensitive information.
County officials say that the document is important for weighing the costs and benefits of using generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, and others used by staff.
A 2025 national survey among 300 state and local decision makers found that nearly half of the respondents say building public trust in government use of AI is a priority.
STORY: Bellingham launches investigation into allegations of city employee using AI chatbots
In more AI news–new details are emerging about the City of Bellingham’s use of AI chatbots.
KNKX Radio reports the city has launched an independent investigation into allegations that a city employee used ChatGPT in a way that may violate state contract law.
Public records show the employee used the chatbot to draft application requirements that would favor VertexOne over competitor Origin SmartCity during last year’s bidding process. VertexOne ultimately won the contract—despite submitting a bid that was one million dollars higher.
According to the report, Bellingham Mayor Kim Lund called the allegations serious, while saying additional context may exist beyond the public records.
Washington law requires public contracts be awarded fairly, without preference for specific applicants.
STORY: New dispatch center approved
A new emergency dispatch center will be built in Bellingham.
Last night, the Bellingham City Council voted unanimously to approve funding for the design and construction of the new facility. The ordinance allows the city to roll nine million dollars in bonds that were approved in 2016 into a new bond offering of 19 million dollars.
City officials say the bonds will have no fiscal impact on residents. The project will also receive nearly one million dollars in grant funding from the state Department of Commerce.
A location has not yet been announced, but construction could be completed by the end of the year.
STORY: Bellingham City Council debating reducing time for public comment
The Bellingham City Council will consider reducing public comment time from three minutes to two.
Councilman Jace Cotton, who proposed the policy change, says the aim is to make, quote “some short-term improvements to the function of our public comment period”. Cotton also cited the importance of hearing from more people during public comment sessions.
Critics of the plan include Councilwoman Lisa Anderson, who said that reducing the time to two minutes could harm people not used to public speaking, or who don’t have enough time to articulate their thoughts fully.
The measure is not up for a vote yet, but council members agreed to discuss the matter further at an upcoming retreat.
STORY: Anti-trans initiatives move forward
Supporters of two controversial citizen initiatives have taken a key step toward bringing them before the Washington state Legislature — and possibly voters.
The political committee Let’s Go Washington turned in hundreds of thousands of signatures Friday to the secretary of state’s office. One initiative would roll back recent changes to state law on parental rights in public schools. The other would bar transgender girls from competing in girls’ sports.
Organizers say they submitted well above the required number of signatures for both measures. The secretary of state’s office will now verify them— a process expected to take several weeks.
If certified, lawmakers will decide whether to approve the initiatives, reject them and send them to the November ballot, or offer an alternative.
Critics argue the measures could harm vulnerable students, while supporters say they reflect broad public support.
STORY: Funding awarded for first-time home buyers
The Washington State Department of Commerce will award more than 63 million dollars to support first-time homebuyers across the state.
The funding will go to 43 projects, and create 621 new homes. State officials say the investment will be matched with nearly 200 million dollars of additional public and private funds, and leverage more than three dollars for every state dollar spent.
The money will help build affordable homes, provide down payment assistance, and create permanently affordable housing. About 42 percent of the funding will go to rural communities, with additional investments in urban areas, King County, and statewide programs. Here in Whatcom and Skagit counties, Future Homebuyers Association, Kulshan Community Land Trust, Whatcom/Skagit Housing, and Habitat for Humanity will receive money. Whatcom/Skagit Housing received the largest award of 4.6 million dollars.
Commerce officials say the program will expand access to homeownership for income-eligible families across Washington.
STORY: Cantwell landslide legislation approved by Senate
The U.S. Senate has voted to reauthorize Senator Maria Cantwell’s National Landslide Preparedness Act— aimed at improving emergency preparedness as landslide risks increase nationwide.
Senator Cantwell cited last month’s atmospheric river storms, which triggered at least 73 reported landslides across Washington state.
The bill extends early warning systems, expands landslide hazard mapping, and strengthens coordination between the U.S. Geological Survey and NOAA to deliver real-time information to at-risk communities.
The legislation now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration.
WX: Writin’ jokes for the same stretch o’ grey clouds for months on end almost makes ya wish for a nuclear winter
And now for the weather,
We’re in for another dreary one today, with the forecast calling for overcast skies, up to a quarter-inch of rain, and winds of up to 28 mph. Daytime highs should remain around the mid-low 40s, and drop to lows around the mid-30s by nightfall. This evening’s weather looks should feature winds of up to 15 mph and under a tenth of an inch of precipitation.
More of the same looks to be in store tomorrow.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers Carlos Braga (BRAH-guh), Connor O’Boyle, Kyler Cantrell, Glen Hirshberg (HERSH-berg), Kathi O’Shea (o-SHAY), Austin Wright, and Kai Blais-Schmolke (KAI BLAZE-SHMOLE-kee). Tune in to local news on KMRE weekdays at 3, 4 and 5 p.m. For news tips and feedback, send us an email at news@kmre.org or call 360-398-6150. KMRE is a nonprofit community radio station, powered by your donations. To help support what we do, check out our Patreon, Substack, or visit kmre.org and click on the banner. I’m _________, and thanks for listening!
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